The comedian is preparing to set out on his first stand-up tour in eight years, which will see the 44-year-old will play nine cities across the UK.

Starting April 2018 in Birmingham, the tour will also take in dates in Glasgow, Manchester, London, Leeds, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, and Liverpool.

“I really miss it,” Kay said in a statement on the tour announcement. “I know how lucky I am to be making television series and have really loved these past few years working on Car Share but I miss doing stand-up.

“As terrifying as it is, when it works there’s nothing more fun and exciting. Plus, a lot has happened in the last eight years, with Trump, Twitter and my Nan getting her front bush trimmed at the age of 96. I can’t wait to get back up on stage.”

While more dates have already been added due to huge demand, many fans were infuriated as they encountered issues with ticket sites or saw seats being sold for inflated prices.

A 16th Manchester show has just been added on Sat 30th June 2018. Tickets at https://t.co/75yUZmgQZu #PeterKayTour pic.twitter.com/v2N5Un7YMJ

— Peter Kay (@peterkay_co_uk) November 19, 2017

Screenshots were shared on social media of tickets being sold on StubHub and Viagogo for as much as £495.

£1,024.75 for two tickets. @peterkay_co_uk have a word, absolute joke pic.twitter.com/OeSsD3iHO0

— Em 🌻 (@BalladOfEmily) November 19, 2017

Ticketmaster making a killing with GetMeIn, looking at the Peter Kay tour.

Sold out in minutes, and in that time, all these people with tickets happen to no longer want their tickets, so they sell them on GetMeIn. All above board. Innocent stuff.

— Limmy (@DaftLimmy) November 19, 2017

How can Peter Kay tickets go on sale at 10am for £45 and the within 15 minutes be on an approved ticketmaster resale sit for £770 @TicketmasterUK @Ticketmaster

— Brad Cox (@BradCox21) November 19, 2017

#peterkaytour @peterkay_co_uk What are you doing about the resale already happening at 4x face value on ticket tout sites??? On there you have seat numbers, why cant you cancel the seat numbers and stick them on resale. Screwing fans over bigtime!!! No excuse for resale already! pic.twitter.com/PXYDEATpUn

— Matt (@MattyKettle) November 19, 2017

#peterkay you need to sort out these secondary ticket sites I was ready to buy at 10:00 all gone to secondary sites at 10:02 for £300 can’t afford that as a working class lad! #peterkaytour #Ticketmaster

— Callum Halliday (@CalHal21) November 19, 2017

15yrs the wife & I have waited to watch you live. Been on since 10am and still waiting. What chance have normal folk with normal bank balances stand of actually getting a ticket? #devastating pic.twitter.com/pdPFLky6dI

— Anthony Towner (@bhafctowner) November 19, 2017

The comedian’s last tour started in 2010 and quickly became the biggest selling comedy tour of all time, playing to over 1.2 million people.

Since then, Kay has starred in and directed the BAFTA-winning sitcom Car Share, playing a character in ITV’s Cradle to Grave, and cameoed in Inside No. 9.

He recently announced that Car Share will return for two more episodes after the second season ended this year, to be screened on BBC One in 2018.